Freedom for Lightning Sqaud Kurt and Shadowcat
by Lauren Wagner
Summary: Freedom!
1. Default Chapter

Kurt was worried for more than just one reason. It had started small once they had been sent back to their own world after having been beaten by Excalibur of Earth 616. Hauptmann Englande had been harassing the scientists to work on a machine that could send them back to that world. When the Fuhrer asked why he was so intent on this world, he had described the fresh resources available and soon the project had the Fuhrer's support and that was the only thing the scientists were working on.  
  
Kurt and Kitty shared the same worry; if they were successful in making such a machine, the Fuhrer would be able to send his entire army their to conquer that world and not even Excalibur would be able to fight with the deadly technology the Nazi scientists had thought up.  
  
So one night, Kurt and Kitty made a pact together that they would do all they could to sabotage the machine whenever they could, even if it meant facing the wrath of the Fuhrer if they were found out. They just couldn't stand the risk of Earth 616 and its people falling under the shadow of the Fuhrer when they had been able to stop it the first time.  
  
"There's only one problem." Kitty had pointed out that night. "What if the scientists still get it ready and working? What shall we do then?" Kurt had fallen silent, thinking of many ways to handle it.  
  
"And if you think simply smashing it will work, it won't. They'll just make another one and we'll both be gassed before you can teleport us out of there!" Kitty added sharply. Kurt had agreed reluctantly, wracking his brain wildly. When he finally had it, he clapped his hands together and smiled at her.  
  
"I will pay off one of the scientists!" he said.  
  
"What good will that do us?" Kurt had smiled and hugged her with his tail, kissing her brow.  
  
"Remember what we talked about that night when I first woke after my beating? About going there and staying there to be allies and fight for good?" he had asked. When Kitty thought back and remembered, a smile broke out across her face and she hugged Kurt tightly around the neck.  
  
"We shall have the scientist send us there! Then, he will break the machine and get rid of the maps and data for us! That way, Hauptmann Englande shall not find us out!" Kurt finished.  
  
"What about Meggan? Shouldn't we take her too?"  
  
"I'm sorry, but we can't take her too. She would let it slip to her husband, even if she did not mean to. You know how she is, Kitty. It shall just be us two, and we shall be free of this hell hole for good!" Laughing happily, Kitty kissed Kurt on the lips lightly and rested her head over his heart.  
  
"I can hardly wait!" she had whispered before falling asleep in his arms.  
  
Kurt's plan worked perfectly. He was able to bribe a young scientist with some cigarettes he had kept from Earth 616 and the deal was done. All he and Kitty had to do was perform some "accidents" to slow down the procedure.  
  
Kurt's tail became quite erratic and often shattered important bulbs and dials, whereas Kitty was having problems with her phasing, and was often destroying or erasing computer files concerning the machine. They took their beatings and sometimes rapes in stride, knowing that they would win in the end either way!  
  
As Kitty had predicted, their "accidents" only delayed the machine a few months. In no time the machine was up and ready to be used for things heavier than a watermelon. The Fuhrer planned on sending his Lightning Squad to Earth 616 first thing in the morning; giving Kurt and Kitty that night to leave them in the dust!  
  
Kurt had limited their belongings to one bag each, saying that they shouldn't press their luck with any more in case the machine was wrong. He took all of the things he still had as a Romani, including the vest Jimaine had given to him for his eighteenth birthday. Kitty packed up all of her clothes and the golden Star of David necklace Kurt had rescued the day she had been taken.  
  
When they were all finished, Kurt teleported them to the room where the machine and scientist waited.  
  
"We shall have to be fast about this." The scientist said. "Who knows when the guards will stop by on their daily visit to make sure it is safe!" Kurt nodded and gave him the last of the cigarettes, along with a few marks for all of the trouble he was going through.  
  
The machine was a tall structure, looking kind of like a carriage with a door on either side. They stepped inside and sat down, buckling their seatbelts and holding their bags tightly. Kurt looked in Kitty's eyes and he slowly smiled and she in turn gave him a smile of her own as the machine started to glow.  
  
The scientist worked swiftly, pushing buttons and turning dials as he whispered prayer after prayer that this would work. Finally, the room started to fill with a bright white light. Wincing, he placed an arm over his eyes and he pulled down on a lever, making the light grow more intense.  
  
There was a sound like a cork flying from a bottle, and the light was gone.  
  
Lowering his arm, the scientist laughed softly as he started to smash the machines and destroy the files on how to make it.  
  
The carriage and its passengers were gone! 


	2. 2

Kurt felt like someone had taken a hook into the small of his back and pulled as hard as they could. Bright light filled his vision, blinding him to everything. His tail snaked forward and held tightly onto Kitty's hand, making sure she was still with him as the machine rocked more violently and the feeling of being pulled by a hook intensified tenfold.  
  
Gritting his teeth, Kurt closed his eyes and silently prayed to a God he had converted to with the help of Kitty a few years back.  
  
Just as suddenly as the sensation came on the two of them, it ended with a soft thud and a brief rock back and forth slightly.  
  
Opening his eyes, Kurt saw that his tail was still holding Kitty's hand and he uttered a sigh of relief. Looking at Kitty, he smiled and leaned forward, undoing her seatbelt for her.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked, undoing his own next. Kitty snorted softly, picking up her back and checking to see if everything was still inside.  
  
"Ask me that same question once we get outside and find that this is Britain in Earth 616, then you'll get your answer along with a great big kiss!" she said, tapping the control panel buttons beside the door. Kurt laughed, shaking his head.  
  
"Fair enough I suppose." He admitted.  
  
The door slid open with a hiss, expelling mist under their feet. Kitty stepped out first, wavering a moment on the fine sand of the beach they were on. Looking around, she tilted her head to one side, trying to see any sign that this was Earth 616. Kurt stepped out next, taking in a deep breath of fresh air as well.  
  
"This is the place." He said, smiling at her.  
  
"How can you tell?" Kitty asked. "I don't see any signs or anything."  
  
"The air is clean." Kurt explained, spreading his arms out wide and circling slightly. "I remember how fresh it was the first time we came here, this is the place we sought for!" Turning to the ocean, he smiled and proceeded to remove every swastika or symbol of his past life with Hitler from his clothes and bags.  
  
"It is time to start anew!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, hurling the cursed objects into the water, watching each one land with a small splash and sink into the blue depths. Finally, he removed his sunglasses and he hurled them as far as he could, letting out a victory cry as it landed in the water with a plop.  
  
He turned to Kitty and smiled, bowing slightly.  
  
"Your turn, liebe!" he said. Clapping her hands together, Kitty took out the few swastikas she had and hurled them after Kurt's two of them going farther than Kurt's had. When this was done, she took out her necklace and slipped it around her neck, smiling at the Star of David that glittered in the light of the sun.  
  
"What do we do now?" she asked, turning around and finding Kurt picking up large stones. He hurled one at the machine, taking off a chunk off metal with it.  
  
"We destroy this so that there is no trace of it left." He explained, giving her a few. "Then, we try and blend in as much as possible with this world before we seek out Excalibur. We must change our money to theirs, buy new clothes to fit in, and..." The tip of his tail lightly touched Kitty's brow, where the brand rested.  
  
"We must remove this thing made out of hatred and stupidity." He finished, his voice softer than before. Gently, Kitty took hold of Kurt's tail and lowered it, looking into his eyes for a moment. She smiled faintly and kissed the tip of his tail before she let go.  
  
"Kurt, you don't have to worry about me. I'm sure we'll be able to find a wig or something that will cover it up." She said. Kurt shook his head faintly, bending down and picking up their bags.  
  
"It seems we shall not be able to come to an agreement about this right at the moment." He said. "I am sure we shall in time though. Come, I want to see what part of town we are in!" Laughing, the two raced towards the city. ***  
They both remembered old tales from their families, stories about what London and the rest of the world had looked like before Hitler took over and destroyed it completely. They were great things with large buildings and people of all races walking the streets and talking to each other.  
  
Now, it was if they had simply walked into one of those old tales come true. When they had first been seen, a few people stared at them in confusion, most of them looking at the brand on Kitty's brow. One young woman had even walked up and told her that if she needed something to cover it up, she should try some new concealer a company called Maybelline had invented.  
  
The only time they faced any problems was when Kurt tried to exchange their money. In their world, the money was all in marks with the face of Hitler printed on them. Unfortunately, this world didn't like anything with his ugly mug on it and the woman at the desk had shouted at them and threatened to call the police if they didn't leave right away. The only thing that saved them a trip to jail was an older gentleman walking up and taking over instead of the woman.  
  
The man looked over the marks and then explained to Kurt and Kitty that these kinds of marks were very rare because they were obviously made during WWII, and before Hitler was finally defeated, thus their lack of circulation. The man asked where the two had gotten them, and Kurt said that his great grandfather had saved them, expecting them to be worth something in time. The man agreed and for a simple thirty marks; Kurt and Kitty left the building with fifty thousand pounds.  
  
"What are we going to do with all of that money?" Kitty hissed as they left, looking over her shoulder nervously at the man at the desk. Kurt shrugged and split the money in half, giving her one and slipping his share into his pocket.  
  
"I shall meet you back here in two hours." He explained. "In that time, buy what you think you shall need. I shall try to find us a hotel room that will let us stay until we find Muir Island again!"  
  
"What I think I'll need? What about you?" Kitty asked.  
  
"Do you think it will take me two hours just to get a hotel room and an atlas? I will be getting things for myself too, don't you worry. It's about time you be allowed to spoil yourself!" Kurt laughed. He waved a hand airily, shaking his head faintly.  
  
"So go spend!" Laughing, Kitty kissed Kurt on the cheek and ran off to find this concealer Maybelline had made. Kurt watched her run off, and then he calmly walked away, thinking a head of what they would do about Excalibur.  
  
Kitty had so much fun spending money. It was one of those luxuries she often heard the non-Jewish women talk about, and she often wished she could share in their fun. Now, she bet that they had never spent so much money in one day!  
  
She went first into a clothes store and proceeded to buy what looked nice to her; five pairs of jeans, six t-shirts, a pair of drawstring sweat pants with a matching top, and a pair of pajamas. Also, just because she had always wanted it, she got her ears pierced and bought a few pairs of earrings along with necklaces, bracelets, and anklets.  
  
When this was done, she went on her great search for Maybelline.  
  
Kurt found a hotel fairly easily; the price was even fair to him. Once he paid for a week's stay there, he went looking for an atlas that had Muir Island on it. This was a bit more difficult since Excalibur had asked most people not to include Muir Island in their maps. Kurt was forced to look for old additions before he finally found one with Muir Island.  
  
With directions to Muir Island in his back pocket, Kurt went off to buy groceries, cigarettes, and clothes.  
  
The women at the make-up place absolutely loved Kitty. Once she entered the store, they immediately pounced and started to suggest things for her wrinkles and such, but she said she only needed something to hide her brand.  
  
Well, that was simple enough.  
  
First, they gave her concealer and showed her how it was used. Then, they showed her lipstick and blush that would match the concealer. But you can't buy those three and not include eyeliner now can you?  
  
By the time Kitty left the store, she was carrying a large bag of cosmetics.  
  
When the two met up, they couldn't help but laugh at each other in their new attire; Kitty in jeans and a t-shirt, Kurt with a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, wearing a long sleeved shirt with cargo pants and an added hole for his tail. ***  
"When will we go to Muir Island?" Kitty asked that night, lying in her bed with her hands behind her head. Kurt narrowed his eyes faintly, taking a final puff of his cigarette before he extinguished it in the ashtray beside him. He let the smoke out slowly, watching it curve and dance before his eyes.  
  
"Tomorrow, we rent a boat and see if this map is correct." He said, holding it out to her. "Then, we shall walk up calmly and ask to speak with the leader, my twin. Hopefully, he will understand our situation and allow us to join."  
  
"And if he doesn't?" Kurt frowned slightly, turning his head to Kitty.  
  
"What do you mean if he doesn't? You were the one who said he would!" he pointed out. Kitty shrugged, flipping idly through the book.  
  
"I could have been wrong." She said. "He may not let us join and may try to have us arrested. What will we do then?" she asked, turning her head to him with raised eyebrows. Kurt blinked, turning away for a moment in though.  
  
"Well, I hear America was once a beautiful place to live in. I heard about these two giant towers they called Twins and..."  
  
"They were felled."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I read it in a newspaper." Kitty explained softly. "Terrorists who hate America hijacked four planes with hundreds of innocent people in them. Two hit the Towers and made them fall, killings thousands of people. The third hit a place called the Pentagon." Kurt looked at her and tilted his head to one side.  
  
"What of the fourth?" he asked softly.  
  
"The people on the fourth plane stood up and fought the hijackers and forced it to crash before it reached its target." Kitty finished, tears falling from her eyes. She burst into a more heartfelt sob moments later, Kurt gently getting off his bed and hugging her gently.  
  
"What if this world turns out just as bad?" she asked against his shoulder. "What if we were better where we were?" Kurt rested his cheek against her head, closing his eyes.  
  
"No world is perfect, liebe." He whispered. "All people have their flaws and stupidities about them. In time, this will hopefully change. Until then, we must endure it and live life as we always have. This world is better than ours because theirs saw the hatred and stupidity; and they stood up and fought against it, crushing it before it got as bad as it has in our world.  
  
"Yes, this world still has evil people in power, but I am sure they will soon stop them as well. That is what makes this world better than ours. The promise of hope and peace at last between peoples." Pushing Kitty back gently, Kurt tilted her head up with hit tail and he smiled at her gently, kissing her nose.  
  
"What do you say to that, liebe?" he asked. Kitty laughed softly, resting her head against the crook of his neck.  
  
"I think you've been reading to many of these new world's books!" 


	3. 3

[i]A Note: Now this is where it may start to get a bit confusing since I address Earth 616 Kurt and Lightning Squad Kurt as well...Kurt! So that no one gets confused; our Kurt is Kurt 616 and Lightning Squad Kurt is just Kurt since this is his story! Now, on with the story![/i]  
  
Kurt decided to rent a boat that wasn't as fast as the others because Kitty had said that if they faced rejection by Excalibur, at least their way there would be slow and easy going. Also, she wasn't quite sure about Kurt's ability to steer a motorboat to begin with!  
  
"What are we going to tell them when we get there?" Kitty asked, looking up at the blue sky. Kurt thought for a while, rowing their boat in large lazy strokes.  
  
"What should I tell them?" he countered. "I don't want to tell them anything you wish to keep secret from them." He explained. Kitty looked over at Kurt and she smiled faintly. Stretching out lazily, she rested her head on his chest and gazed up at him.  
  
"I think saying we are lovers is unnecessary and may make them think bad things of you." She said finally. Kurt stopped rowing and looked down at her lovingly, smiling gently.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because of the way you tried to seduce their Meggan." Kitty said gently. "I read a magazine from this world. What you did is considered rape..."  
  
"Never!" Kurt shouted, sitting up rigidly. "I would never do that to anyone!" Kitty rested a hand over his gently.  
  
"I know you wouldn't, but the way you spoke and acted around her, that is considered rape in this world my friend. I think you may have to apologize for that." Kurt calmed down and slowly eased down, his tail resuming its lax state beside him.  
  
"I will." He said, nodding grimly. "You know I would never do that, don't you?" he asked softly. Kitty smiled and nodded, placing her head back over his heart.  
  
"I know you wouldn't. I knew that after you tricked Hauptmann Englande into thinking you had when I was first taken. He would have raped me in an instant, but you stopped him." She reminded him, taking his tail and gently playing with the tip of it. "And when we did first make love, we both wanted it, and you did not take it from me."  
  
"Why should any man have to take what women give freely to those whom they love?" Kurt asked, slowly resuming his rowing.  
  
"When they are named Hauptmann Englande, they must take because no one loves them!" Kitty said matter-of-factly. A moment passed before the two of them erupted into laughter, Kurt's tail lashing around him wildly. When the laughter finally died down, Kurt sighed and resumed his rowing.  
  
"All right then, I shall not mention that we are lovers because they may believe that I took it from you." He agreed. "But they will notice when we sleep together." He added.  
  
"We'll cross that bridge when and if it comes to us." Kitty assured him.  
  
The rest of the sailing was easy with Kurt rowing most of the way in easy strokes. Sometimes, Kitty insisted that she also pull the oars and he often gave her small shifts to make her happy. Finally, Kurt paused during one of his turns and he stood up, looking out a head, shielding his eyes with one hand. Slowly, he smiled and he pointed with his tail, turning to Kitty excitedly.  
  
"Liebe! Look out there!" he said. When Kitty slowly leaned forward, she saw a large island in the distance. Laughing, she sat up and she clapped her hands, hugging Kurt tightly.  
  
"We're almost there!" she shouted. "I take one oar, and you take the other!" she said.  
  
"Kitty..." Kurt started.  
  
"Not one thing against it!" she snapped, taking an oar and waiting for him to take the other. Laughing, Kurt sat down beside her and together the two rowed the rest of the way to Muir Island.  
  
Once they reached the dock, Kurt leapt off easily and helped Kitty before he tied the boat up and picked up their bags. Looking a head, his smile faded as he saw Rachel in full Phoenix form coming towards them. Looking over at Kitty with raised eyebrows, he simply stood beside her and waited for Rachel to reach them.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked, her fiery eyes narrowing dangerously. "I warn you, play me false and I'll send you both to the bottom of this ocean before you can even think of teleporting away."  
  
"We came here to talk to the leader of Excalibur." Kitty said seriously. "And if you try to hurt us, you'll be hurting unarmed people." She added, spreading her arms out slightly. Rachel looked at the two of them, and she slowly dissolved her Phoenix persona.  
  
"Fine, but just take that as fair warning." She said, taking their bags and leading them off to the lighthouse.  
  
"Thank you for that lovely speech." Kurt whispered as he walked beside Kitty. "I have a feeling she would not have listened to me!" Kitty smiled and squeezed his hand lightly before they stepped into the lighthouse.  
  
"What the hell are these two Nazis doing here?" Brian demanded, getting to his feet in a hurry. Despite the fact that this was a different version of Hauptmann Englande, Kurt and Kitty could not help but flinch away as the giant blond came stomping towards them.  
  
"They came to talk to Kurt about something." Rachel answered.  
  
"Well I'm the leader, why don't they talk to me?" Brian asked. Rachel rolled her eyes and waved a hand towards a room down the hall.  
  
"He's in there. Go anywhere else before there and you'll be sorry." She said.  
  
"Don't worry about that." Kurt said as he and Kitty headed for the door. Looking at each other with raised eyebrows, they held back laughter as Rachel and Brian proceeded to argue behind them.  
  
Before they reached the door, Meggan wandered over holding a Dr. Seuss book. She was reading a line eagerly when she looked up and saw Kurt. With a startled squeak, she stopped and looked at him, the book forgotten in her hands.  
  
Looking over at Kitty for a moment, Kurt turned to Meggan and he bowed slightly, his tail curling lightly around his leg.  
  
"I apologize for my actions when we first met." He said, slowly standing up straight. Meggan looked at him still confused for a moment before she smiled faintly, his emotions easily read.  
  
"It's ok." She said, turning back to her book.  
  
"That was easy." Kurt said, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes, but I have a feeling this won't be." Kitty added, pushing the door open.  
  
Kurt 616 was exercising when the two came in. He was in the middle of a full somersault when he saw his twin. With a swift BAMF, he was in front of them with his hands on his hips and his tail snapping back and forth.  
  
"What are YOU doing here." He demanded, narrowing his eyes dangerously. Kurt looked over at Kitty and he helplessly bowed to her, hoping that she would be better at explaining to his twin than he was. Slowly, Kitty walked up and looked at Kurt 616 calmly.  
  
"Well, it's a bit complicated and long so I think you had better sit down for this." She said, smiling faintly. Looking at the two of them warily, Kurt 616 used his tail to pull up three seats and he sat down in one of them, tilting his head to one side.  
  
"I'm listening." 


	4. 4

As Kitty spoke the entire time, Kurt 616 kept his gaze on his twin, his tail swaying slightly as he thought quietly to himself. His ears pricked up when Kitty mentioned the rapes Hauptmann Englande committed on both of them, and he looked at his twin with even more interest. When she finally finished their tale, he sat silently, looking from his twin to Shadowcat's.  
  
"You're telling the truth?" he asked, all ready knowing the answer."  
  
"Yes." Kitty nodded. He turned his head to one side, narrowing his eyes faintly as his tail curled up in a slight ball. When he turned back to them, he smiled.  
  
"I don't think the others will object when I tell them your story. You are both welcome to stay here and join Excalibur." He said, standing up. Smiling, Kurt stood up and he held out his tail. Kurt 616 held out his and the two tails entwined lightly and they shook lightly as Kurt 616 shook Kitty's hand.  
  
"Welcome to Excalibur then. Although, you both shall need to choose different codenames I'm afraid. I rather like mine and I don't think our Kitty will give hers up so readily!" he admitted with a laugh.  
  
The next time TechNet came to take Rachel, they faced the normal Excalibur along with their two new members, StarPryde and SkyElf.  
  
Overtime, Kitty was finally able to grow her hair long, but she kept the scar on her brow. She even went so far as to get rid of all the make-up she had first bought. When asked why, she said that the reason she chose the name StarPryde was because when she was in her own world, she was forced to be disgraced of her religion and her people, but here, she could embrace her Jewish heritage which included the Star of David. That was why she did not wish to hide a symbol of her faith with make-up like it was something disgusting.  
  
Her costume was one she made up herself. It was a leather body suit a pure white color with red markings here and there, each name representing a member of her family that had been stolen from her by Hauptmann Englande and the other Nazis. She kept two curved daggers strapped behind her back, another two in front of her, and two additional ones on both ankles, her aim and swiftness with them almost making her as fast as Quicksilver himself.  
  
Kurt worked well with his twin, and the two were often seen working together or simply lounging around speaking in their native tongue together, mostly about their different Romani tribes and their different fates. The first thing Kurt did was ask his twin if Feur and Jimaine were still alive, and he heard that everyone was alive and well, he wept openly in joy of this.  
  
The reasoning behind Kurt's name was due to his adopted mother Margali, who when he was younger would often play with his curls or his fur and call him her SkyElf because he looked like an Elf with fur the color of the virgin sky. Not only that, but he grew his hair longer than his twin's, keeping it in a silk like ponytail at all time with a small piece hanging over his right eye.  
  
His chosen costume was a simple pair of leather pants the same shade of blue as his fur. When his twin pointed out that they often got shot at, he slipped on an old vest Jimaine had once made him. When his twin made another comment about this, he merely shrugged and said that if he was shot; at least he would be wearing his sister's gift with pride instead of that stupid skimpy uniform in shame. His weapon of choice was his rapiers, both of them strapped on either side of his waist.  
  
Even though Kitty was worried about what the others would think when they discovered the two were lovers, they were only met with raised eyebrows and it was their twins who suffered most of the light-hearted ridicule, most of them simple ribbings that Kurt 616 had robbed the cradle in another universe.  
  
The two were so happy with their new life and friends. At first, Brian expressed concerns that the two were simply spies sent by his twin to gain their trust before the rest of the force came, but Kurt 616 waved this worry away and said that he trusted that what they had told them was true because of the harshness of it. ***  
Hauptmann Englande had been furious when the two pieces of meat escaped, leaving behind a destroyed machine that he had worked so hard on. He had tortured the scientist to death, and when that was finished, he ordered the scientists to work faster and harder on another machine.  
  
No one was allowed to get away from the Third Reich and live to talk about it. He was going to get those two back, and he was going to make them suffer dearly for it! ***  
"Mein Herr?" Hauptmann Englande looked over his shoulder and glared at his stupid wife.  
  
"What do you want?" he demanded. Meggan hesitated for a moment before she walked up.  
  
"It's finished." She said softly. "The machine I mean." Hauptmann Englande got to his feet in a flash, and his eyes blazed with fury.  
  
"Are you positive?" he asked. Meggan nodded, lowering her eyes. Bursting into laughter, Hauptmann Englande hugged her tightly and then ran off.  
  
"Then we need to prepare! Hot damn! Nightcrawler and the Jew will wish they had stayed when I am done with them!" he shouted.  
  
When Hauptmann Englande was gone, Meggan hugged herself tightly, closing her eyes. She had wished that the two had taken her with them, but she figured that they had not told her because she may have accidentally told her husband. She didn't blame them for this, and she wept for them in the lonely room. 


	5. 5

"Come back here with my cigarettes, Lockheed!" SkyElf was not in the mood for this! Every morning, Lockheed would take his pack of cigarettes and hide them somewhere new. Usually, he laughed it off and found them again, but today was just not the day for digging around for cigarettes!  
  
"Come on, SkyElf! You can get him!" StarPryde laughed, looking up from her book. Lockheed fluttered over her and landed on the TV for a moment, fiddling a cigarette out of the pack. SkyElf froze and watched in horror as Lockheed made snapping gesture with it.  
  
"Come on, Lockheed! Don't break my cigarettes again!" he pleaded. "I really need one!"  
  
"It's a filthy habit, SkyElf." Nightcrawler said calmly, watching with amusement. SkyElf frowned at his twin, placing his hands on his hips.  
  
"It may be filthy, but I've been doing it since Stefan and I smuggled two cigarettes from Haus! I am not giving it up because a purple dragon tells me to!" he said, turning back to Lockheed. He sighed softly and instead of threatening he went to pleading.  
  
"Please! I'll only smoke one today, all right? Will that be all right with you?" he asked. Lockheed placed his arms across his scaly chest, thinking it over before he finally gave the cigarettes back. Smiling, SkyElf immediately took one out and lit it.  
  
"Danke." He said around his smoke. Nightcrawler shook his head and sighed.  
  
"You are impossible!" he said, heading for the kitchen. Shrugging, SkyElf took a long drag and closed his eyes, plopping down beside StarPryde on the couch. Smiling at him fondly, StarPryde calmly rested her head in his lap and continued to read. Looking down at her, SkyElf blew smoke from out of his nose and he brushed a strand of hair from her face.  
  
"What's on TV?" Meggan asked, peaking from the kitchen doorway.  
  
"I haven't put it on yet." SkyElf said, picking up the remote and turning it on with his tail. When he saw the news, it fell from his tail and broke on the ground as his and StarPryde's eyes widened in horror.  
  
There was Hauptmann Englande, with a small army of Sentinels around him attacking people. Meggan was with him, and she was using her powers over the elements to cause fires and tear down trees.  
  
The reporter said that the newcomers came suddenly from a machine and started shouting about Excalibur.  
  
"I knew it." Looking over their shoulders, SkyElf and StarPryde found Excalibur looking at them with betrayed eyes. Brian looked absolutely furious, his arms trembling as he restrained himself from wringing their necks right there and now.  
  
"We should have never trusted you two! I knew you two were spies!" he snarled, stepping forward slightly.  
  
"Brian, we have something more important to worry about!" Rachel said, restraining him even though her eyes blazed with equal fury. "We must deal with Hauptmann Englande and his army first!"  
  
As the rest of Excalibur started to leave, SkyElf and StarPryde watched in sorrow as they gave them betrayed glances. Unable to let them go without a word for their defense, SkyElf grabbed Nightcrawler by the arm and tried to hold him back.  
  
"Listen to me! We did not..."  
  
"I trusted you!" Nightcrawler snarled, pulling his arm away from him. "I trusted you both and this is how you repay me? Stay here and cause us no more grief! When we are done with Hauptmann Englande, we will decide what to do with you traitors!" With that said, Nightcrawler followed his teammates to their jet.  
  
As they watched Excalibur fly off to fight, SkyElf and StarPryde looked at each other and helpless tears fell as they realized their dreams of peace were forever gone now that Hauptmann Englande had returned.  
  
"Those Sentinels have a lot of technology that this world doesn't have." StarPryde said. "They'll never be able to win." SkyElf narrowed his eyes, looking after the jet.  
  
"Then it's up to us to follow and fight alongside them." He said at last. StarPryde shook her head sadly.  
  
"They think we're traitors." StarPryde said sadly, wiping her eyes. SkyElf gently hugged her, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Then we will prove them wrong! Come on, they have a spare jet and I've been learning how to fly!" 


	6. 6

Hauptmann Englande smiled evilly when he saw the jet coming towards them. Turning to two Sentinels, he ordered them to attack the jet and they flew off at once, their laser eyes powering up as they went.  
  
"Just watch, Meggan! Soon Excalibur will be dead, the traitors will be punished, and then we will invade and conquer this world for the Third Reich!" he said, placing an arm around her shoulders. Meggan held back a shudder and watched as the Sentinels fired at the jet, shattering its wings instantly. ***  
"Get off the plane!" Brian shouted, fighting with the controls of their jet. "We're going to crash!"  
  
"Don't stay in here too long." Nightcrawler said before he took hold of Shadowcat and teleported down.  
  
"Don't worry." Brian said, turning back to the controls. He waited for Rachel and Meggan to leave before he finally gave up and simply abandoned the jet, flying down like a missile at one of the Sentinels.  
  
The Sentinel raised a hand up and its palm opened up, exposing a missile. It fired along with a stream of lasers from its eyes right at Brian. He dodged the missile, but the lasers struck him at the same time. They ripped through his uniform and knocked him out, sending him plummeting to the ground.  
  
Meggan flew up and caught him, helping him land as the rest of the Sentinels started in on Excalibur.  
  
"These Sentinels are not like the ones we've fought in the past." Nightcrawler said, gritting his teeth. "We have to try our best though. Try to find a weakness or something on them! They can't be invincible!"  
  
With those words, Excalibur charged at the twenty Sentinels standing over them. ***  
"Oh God, there goes the jet!" StarPryde moaned, watching, as they got closer to the action. SkyElf nodded grimly, flipping a few switches with his tail.  
  
"Get ready to sky dive down there." He said, watching as Excalibur charged at the Sentinels.  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"I have to try and land this stupid thing first." StarPryde's eyes grew wide with realization.  
  
"You never got to the part about landing!" she cried. SkyElf nodded, focusing on the controls.  
  
"Yes, now please get ready to jump. We don't need to crash and ruin our chances to prove our chances!" he said, turning to her for a moment. StarPryde slowly undid her belt and she stood up, heading for the door of the jet. She looked over her shoulder at her lover, her hair blowing into her eyes.  
  
"Be safe." She said.  
  
"I will." He nodded, keeping his eyes on the controls. With that, StarPryde phased and ran down to meet the Sentinels.  
  
Looking over his shoulder, SkyElf sighed softly and brushed away his stray bit of hair from his eyes as he turned back to the controls. Turning a few dials and pulling a lever slowly, he started to make it descend at a slow pace. ***  
StarPryde knew she didn't have time to waste as she watched one of the Sentinels grab her twin and try to slam her into the ground. Shadowcat phased just in time and sparks started to fly as the Sentinel lost control of its hand.  
  
"There we go!" StarPryde laughed, turning solid so that she fell faster. When she was about to strike one of the Sentinels, she phased and went right through it, short-circuiting it and sending it crashing to the ground.  
  
"Try to phase through their heads!" she shouted to her twin. "Their heads are their only weak spot and phasing is the only way to do it!"  
  
"What are you doing here?" Nightcrawler asked, leaping over a stream of twin lasers.  
  
"SkyElf and I didn't betray you! We're here to fight!" StarPryde said, phasing and sky running up to the one of the Sentinels. As she caused this one to go down as well, she saw the jet nose-diving. ***  
"Verdammt jet!" SkyElf shouted, pulling as hard as he could on the controls. Gritting his teeth, he lashed his tail side to side as he tried to pull up. When he heard something snap and break, he swore even louder and narrowed his eyes in anger.  
  
"I'm in big trouble when this is all said and done!" he groaned, trying to think of what to do. Looking out the window, he saw two Sentinels close together launching missiles at Meggan as she tried to get Brian to safety.  
  
"Oh this had better work!" he said, grabbing the controls and turning them sharply.  
  
The jet turned abruptly and headed straight for the Sentinels. As one of them turned its head and aimed a missile at it, the jet collided with it and caused its head to explode, spraying its partner with enough sharp shrapnel to impale it and cause its head to explode as well.  
  
SkyElf appeared a second after the jet erupted on top of an overturned car near Meggan and he pointed to a building not too far off, but in an area untouched by the attacks so far.  
  
"Get Brian over there!" he shouted, drawing his rapiers. "He should be all right!" He waited a moment as he watched Meggan fly over before he turned and looked for Hauptmann Englande. When he did, he narrowed his eyes and teleported at him. ***  
"He did it!" StarPryde laughed, stopping to wait a moment beside Shadowcat.  
  
"Yeah, now how are we going to get back when we're all done?" Shadowcat asked, placing her hands on her hips. Before they could continue their conversation, they were forced to jump back into action as another Sentinel launched a missile at them. ***  
Nightcrawler teleported onto the head of one Sentinel and he drove his rapier into its head to get a grip. Holding on tightly, Nightcrawler dodged lasers fired at him, watching as the attacks damaged the Sentinel rather than himself.  
  
"Come on!" he shouted at one Sentinel. "Fire a missile at me if you can!" With its eyes glowing a bright green color, the Sentinel raised up its hand and aimed.  
  
"Ja, come on!" he taunted, ripping his rapier from its grip. As the missile headed for him, he teleported away and watched on a rooftop as the Sentinel's head blew up. ***  
"This is taking way too long for my tastes!" Rachel growled, erupting into her Phoenix persona. With a loud screech, she soared into the sky and she fired at all of the Sentinels, flames and twisted shrapnel flying everywhere. Laughing, she soared high into the sky and watched the last of the Sentinels fall. ***  
"This isn't supposed to be happening!" Hauptmann Englande screamed, turning around on Meggan. "Why did they destroy the Sentinels?" He grabbed her arm tightly and twisted it, making her cry out weakly.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" he shouted in her face. "Use your powers on the flames and fight them!" Reluctantly, Meggan took off and started to fight, using the flames to make giants to fight Excalibur.  
  
"This should have been easy! Why wasn't it?" Hauptmann Englande wondered aloud.  
  
"Because this world is not as weak as you thought!" With a gasp, Hauptmann Englande turned around and found himself looking at SkyElf, his rapiers drawn and ready to drink blood.  
  
"Nightcrawler!" he spat. Smiling slowly, SkyElf shook his head and walked forward.  
  
"My name is SkyElf!" he said, slashing at his face. Hauptmann Englande dodged the blow and narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists.  
  
"You're going to pay!" he snarled, throwing a punch at SkyElf's face. SkyElf deflected the blow with his rapier and the battle began, blade clashing against brute strength. 


	7. 7

The flames Meggan made were not as intense as Rachel's but she made them as strong as she could and she hurled them at everyone, mos the blows going awry and striking down buildings in the process.  
  
Shadowcat was struck in the back, smashing her against a car, the smell of burnt flesh rising into the air almost at once. Meggan aimed more fireballs at her but Nightcrawler teleported and grabbed Shadowcat away from there before she was killed.  
  
"Stay down!" he said, looking around. "Where the hell is SkyElf if he came with StarPryde? We could use some help here!" Shadowcat winced as she sat up and she gasped, pointing over Nightcrawler's shoulder.  
  
"Look!" she shouted. When Nightcrawler looked, he saw SkyElf fighting with Hauptmann Englande savagely as fire rained all around them.  
  
"Ach, verdammt!" he hissed, teleporting away. When he reappeared behind Hauptmann Englande, he slashed his sword at his hand and stopped him from landing a blow on SkyElf's face.  
  
"Get out of here!" SkyElf shouted as Hauptmann Englande turned on Nightcrawler.  
  
"Your nose is bleeding and so is your eyebrow!" Nightcrawler shot back. "You need help!"  
  
"Nein, Hauptmann Englande is mine and mine alone!" SkyElf said. "Go help the others with Meggan before she burns down the city!" Dodging another blow from Hauptmann Englande, Nightcrawler nodded and teleported away, leaving SkyElf to deal with Hauptmann Englande.  
  
"Do you really think you can beat me?" Hauptmann Englande asked with a sneer. SkyElf spit out some blood and wasn't surprised when he saw a tooth in the small puddle.  
  
"I do not think. I know I can." He said, jabbing at his side. Hauptmann Englande punched him in the side of his face as the blade grazed his side. SkyElf staggered back a few steps and was barely able to dodge a follow up blow.  
  
"You remember that first night I took you?" he asked, smiling evilly at him. "When I took your sweet lithe body to me?"  
  
"How could I forget? I thought that you needed that special ointment they have to increase your size!" SkyElf snarled, letting his emotions get the best of him. The two threw a few more blows before they went back to circling each other, SkyElf with his teeth bared in a feral snarl.  
  
"You couldn't stop me then! You never could stop me when I wanted it from you! Now why was that? Was it because you liked it?" Hauptmann Englande asked. "That's it isn't it? You liked it! You enjoyed it when I took you to my bed with force!"  
  
Screaming like an animal, SkyElf charged at Hauptmann Englande, his rapiers raised and ready to pierce into him. It only took Hauptmann a few swift movements to knock the rapiers from his hands, trip him, and grab him by the throat tightly. He held SkyElf with his head at an angle and on his knees.  
  
"You should have learned how to control your emotions better! Now I'm going to snap your neck!" he hissed into SkyElf's pointed ear.  
  
Suddenly, Hauptmann Englande realized that the sound of battle had stopped. Turning his head, he saw his wife standing beside her twin of this world, her hands over her mouth in worry. The rest of Excalibur stood, looking at him with SkyElf at his mercy.  
  
"Let him go." Nightcrawler said slowly, holding out a hand. "Just let him go, Hauptmann Englande."  
  
"Drop down your weapons!" Hauptmann Englande ordered. "Turn off the Phoenix and throw the rapiers and daggers over here!" They did so swiftly, the blades gliding over. Looking down at the weapons, Hauptmann Englande smiled up at Excalibur.  
  
"Now let him go!" Nightcrawler said.  
  
"All right." Hauptmann Englande nodded.  
  
Before anyone could stop him, he snapped SkyElf's neck and SkyElf's body crumpled at his feet. 


	8. 8

With a ragged scream, StarPryde ran towards SkyElf as Hauptmann Englande ran for the teleporting machine. She fell to her knees and cradled his head in her arms, sobbing as she begged him not to be dead. His head moved to one side, and it was at an angle that no living thing should go to.  
  
Nightcrawler didn't waste anytime on screaming or weeping when he saw SkyElf fall slain at Hauptmann Englande's feet. With pure rage powering him, he teleported and grabbed one of SkyElf's rapiers before he teleported a head of Hauptmann Englande and slashed him across his face, blinding him savagely in a crimson spray. As Hauptmann Englande lay screaming on the ground and clutching at his face, Nightcrawler howled German swears as he beat him with SkyElf's rapier.  
  
Nightcrawler was oblivious to everything and everyone around him. All he saw was his twin's lifeless body laying on the ground, and the son of a bitch who murdered him after they had done what he had told them to do to get him back alive. The rapier's blade was soon covered in blood as he continued to beat him faster and harder with each blow.  
  
It took Rachel in pure Phoenix form to finally pull Nightcrawler away from the bloody and blind Hauptmann Englande, stopping him from killing the poor excuse of a man right there and then.  
  
"Don't kill him, Kurt." She said, holding his trembling body tightly. "I have a better idea that will make sure his world will never come here again!" Slowly, Nightcrawler took a deep breath and he calmed down, dropping the blade to the ground with a clatter.  
  
"What is your idea, Rachel?" he asked, turning to her with teary eyes. ***  
Excalibur forced the now blind Hauptmann Englande to clean the entire city with his bare hands. His wife Meggan assisted only because she wished to, saying that it was as much her fault as it was his.  
  
When the city was cleaned up, Nightcrawler wrote a very long letter to Hitler, using many choice words and phrases to explain what he and his world was to the minds and hearts to him and his Germany here on Earth 616. He forced Hauptmann Englande to take the letter and with the help of Widget, Excalibur sent Hauptmann Englande back to his filthy world blinded and without his wife. ***  
SkyElf, AKA Nightcrawler of the Lightning Squad for the Third Reich, born Kurt Wagner to the Romani was buried in the tradition of his people in the Bavarian Alps near where Nightcrawler of this world grew up. Nightcrawler was even able to get his old family to help him and perform the ceremony properly with Margali's help.  
  
"I think he likes this a lot, Nightcrawler." StarPryde had once said during the funeral. "When we were back in the other world, he always told me about the ways of the Romani and how he wished he could perform them again with his family. Now, he got his wish."  
  
When Amanda came to pay her respects, StarPryde told her about the stories SkyElf often told her about what he and his foster sister in their world used to do together. It brought tears to Amanda's eyes despite herself and she found herself wishing she had met the man when he was alive and not when he was now dead and being buried.  
  
When the funeral was over and everyone was getting ready to leave, StarPryde walked up to where SkyElf rested and she sat down beside it, resting a hand on the upturned soil. Tilting her head to one side, she let a single tear fall to the ground. Feeling a hand touch her shoulder, she turned her head and found herself looking up at Meggan.  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't stand up to my husband in time to save him." Meggan said softly, sitting down beside her.  
  
"Don't be. He liked you like a sister." StarPryde said. Meggan tilted her head to one side, smiling faintly at the ground.  
  
"Did he?" she asked. StarPryde laughed softly and nodded, wiping her eyes.  
  
"Oh yes, before we went to sleep he sometimes told me stories about the two of you before I came along. He said that you and he shared a kind of sister brother bond because you healed his wounds when he was first brought to the Lighting Squad." She explained slowly, smiling faintly at the memories.  
  
"He always was funny." Meggan said softly. "Even after he had been raped by Hauptmann Englande, he would tell me what he barely felt anything and that he wondered if Hauptmann Englande was even doing anything to him sometimes."  
  
The two sat like that for a few minutes, talking about Kurt and how he was in the past. When it was time for Excalibur to get going, Lockheed trotted up with Kurt's pack of cigarettes resting gently in his mouth. He carefully laid them down over the grave and he patted them gently with his tail before he turned and followed the others into the jet. *** Some people say that freedom is something free and something everyone has, but to Kurt and Kitty, it was something they had to steal and then fight to maintain. Kurt gave his life for the sake of freedom, and thus he earned another level of freedom entirely. 


End file.
